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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Remembering those we have lost
Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz presided over Wednesday’s city council meeting.
Edgewater funds remain in budget By Caitlin Gath The Daily Cardinal
After a lengthy debate concerning the public value of the proposed renovation to the Edgewater Hotel, the Madison Common Council voted to keep the $16 million in tax increment financing in the capital budget with several stipulations Wednesday night. An original amendment sponsored by Ald. Michael Schumacher, District 18, stated that the $16 million be completely removed from the budget. He instead chose to add a substitute amendment that would keep the TIF money in the budget while adding restrictions on how and when that money would be granted. According to city attorney, Michael May, there is no commitment on the part of the city to grant this loan until other committees give their approvals. Of the alders who voted in favor of the amendment, many made it clear that this does not mean they support the project as a whole, but want to see Hammes Company, the developer behind the project, move ahead in the right direction. “This is not about giving a blank
check to anyone, but about due diligence of process,” Schumacher said. “There are certain issues that still need to be ironed out.” Before the money was placed into the budget, Ald. Satya RhodesConway, District 12, proposed a separate amendment that would grant union rights to workers on the proposed hotel project. “It’s clear to me that, at this point in time, the best thing about this project and the only clearly good thing about this project is the number of jobs it could create,” she said. Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, said she wanted to thank the members of the trade unions because they have openly expressed their support for the project and their desire for job creation. “If people are pressuring us to support trades because they’re hurting, then we should step up and help them,” Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, added. Ultimately the amendment failed, but the council continued to empha-
ISAbel áLVAREZ/the daily cardinal
In recognition of Veterans Day, the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice held a candlelight vigil on the corner of Park Street and University Avenue in remembrance of those lost in combat.
Reps. question Walker fundraising By Rebecca Autrey The Daily Cardinal
Two Democratic lawmakers are asking election and UW System officials to determine if an event for Milwaukee County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker violated state fundraising laws. Walker supporters gathered Nov. 2 in the Dreyfus Center, a property owned by UW-Stevens Point. State statutes prohibit candidates from fundraising in stateowned buildings. State Reps. Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin
Rapids, and Amy Sue Vruwink, D-Milladore, have asked the Government Accountability Board and the UW System Board of Regents to investigate. “In order to protect the integrity of state facilities from political meddling, even those minor kinds of things you have to call the check on,” Schneider said. “You can bet if I were doing it they’d be screaming bloody murder.” Student supporters organized the event on the same day as the campaign’s “Rally to Victory”
fundraising push. According to Walker’s official campaign Website, the campaign raised $25, 581. Linda Bader, communications director for Friends of Scott Walker, said all donations raised during the “Rally to Victory” were raised online. Bader said the event at UW-Stevens Point was not a fundraiser, but an opportunity for student supporters to share Walker’s message. She said the campaign was “in compliance” fundraising page 3
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State announces projected $3 billion unemployment insurance fund deficit By Steven Rosenbaum The Daily Cardinal
The Wisconsin unemployment insurance fund is projected to have a nearly $3 billion deficit by the end of 2011, the state announced this week. A representative from the Division of Unemployment of the Department of Workforce Development presented the report to the Assembly labor committee on Tuesday. The figure is double the estimate from earlier this year. Dick Jones, agency liaison at the Department of Workforce Development, said in an e-mail that the deficit has come as a direct result of the current economic recession. According to Jones, DWD has experienced record unemployment claims over the last year. With so many people claiming unemployment benefits, the state had
to borrow from the federal unemployment insurance fund. That loan is interest-free through next year, but after that, a deficit will begin to accumulate. Despite the large projected deficit, Jones said, the economy will not be affected negatively because the unemployed will still be able to purchase necessities. “When individuals receive benefit checks, they spend the money in their communities. The benefits help them buy groceries, make mortgage or rent payments and meet other basic needs and expenses,” Jones said. Also on Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue released its quarterly economic outlook. The report indicated there will be unemployed page 3
ISABEL álvarez/the daily cardinal
ASM Secretary Kurt Gosselin, Chair Tyler Junger and Vice Chair Tom Templeton debated the ASM budget of over $1 million at the meeting Wednesday.
ASM passes budget, SJ denies CFACT appeal By Andrew Kasper The Daily Cardinal
The ASM Student Council approved its own preliminary $1.2 million budget for next year by a 13-1 vote Wednesday. The council debated amendments for the budget which was originally proposed by the Finance Committee right up until their midnight deadline. The biggest amendments came
from Rep. Erik Paulson who proposed adding funds for “housing and tenant services,” and Secretary Kurt Gosselin, who proposed a series of changes to the original budget. Paulson’s amendment set aside a tentative $50,000 for the housing and tenant services and ultimately was passed by a tiebreaker vote from Chair Tyler Junger. According to Junger, close to half of the approved budget is allocated to
travel operations, events grants and ASM’s 11 full-time positions, one of which, the program and campus organizer position, was cut by the committee at the meeting. The budget will be sent next to the Student Services Finance Committee, for further scrutiny in a multistep finalization process. Gosselin and Vice Chair Tom asm page 3
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”